Jean

When I think of all the awesome female characters across all of the RPGs I've played, the one that comes to mind as the most impressive is Jean from Lunar: Eternal Blue. When the party first meets Jean early in their adventure, she's a dancer who's a part of a caravan of travelers. She joins the group and proves to be a mysterious, yet strong companion. Her dancing skills are more utility than offensive, but she is quite skilled nonetheless.

Later in the game, you find out the truth about Jean's secretive past. When she was young, Jean was raised by a karate master named Lunn who took in children and trained them to be assassins. Jean escaped from his influence and sought to avoid fighting if at all possible, but when faced with what Lunn was still doing she decided to finally face her past and fight once more. Transforming from a lovely fan dancer into a deadly karate master, Jean harnessed her battle prowess for what she considered a just cause. A loyal and true companion, Jean is one of the best characters in the Lunar series and one of the most powerful female characters in an RPG. — Michael A. Cunningham

Kid

The deuteragonist of Chrono Cross, many tend to understate the importance of Kid to Serge's journey across time and space. Granted, the game's narrative is both convoluted and dense so it makes sense that some of her relevance be lost in the fog. To clear the air as best as I can, Kid is the daughter-clone of Chrono Trigger's Schala, who was sent into the future to save Serge and create a world division initiating the primary events of Chrono Cross. Schala, who had been sucked into the Darkness Beyond Time during the events of Chrono Trigger, eventually was encountered by a defeated Lavos. She was absorbed by the world parasite and together they formed a new parasitic being known as the Dream Devourer. Lavos' toxic hatred and enmity filled her mind, and she soon found herself split in wanting to destroy all of existence and save the world. When Serge was attacked by a panther demon as a little boy, what little kindness in her that remained created the magnetic storm in his time period allowing the boy's father to enter Chronopolis and access the Frozen Flame — healing his injuries while also making him the object's arbiter.

Before pure hatred overtook her mind, Schala cloned herself in the form of Kid and sent the baby to Lucca's timeframe for care. She also gifted the baby with a magical pendant allowing the user to jump dimensions. Kid grew up a happy child at Lucca's orphanage, but tragedy befell her when Lynx sacked the place and abducted Lucca. Kid swore revenge and was eventually contacted by Belthasar, the Guru of Reason, to travel through time and save Serge from being drowned. Complicated back story, no? The important take away, however, is that Kid was responsible for creating the universe in which Serge did not die. Without her influence, Serge, as the arbiter of the Frozen Flame, couldn't stop the destruction of world and eventually save Schala from Lavos' grasp. Ignoring the central role she plays on the story of Chrono Cross, Kid deserves to be appreciated for her innate attributes. She truly cares for those around her, in spite of her rough edge and disdain towards authority. She also exhibits great strength and often pushes people to do the right thing. It's for those reasons why Kid deserves to be recognized as one of the better female RPG characters of our time. — Trent Seely

Lenneth Valkyrie

Calm and level-headed, Lenneth Valkyrie is a Death Goddess whose strength and determination rivals no one. Although she has no memories of her prior life, Lenneth is devoted to her duties, reaping human souls to fight for the Norse gods in an unwavering battle. Compassionate and kind, Lenneth does not look fondly on those who are disrespectful towards the dead, and opposes those who do not seek repentance.

As the game progresses, and depending on the ending route the player takes, Lenneth's personality transforms from a stoic warrior, to a sensitive yet courageous individual who severs her ties with the gods in order to become an authoritative force to be reckoned with. Her beauty is unrivaled, but her intelligence, devotion, and love of the human race make her one of the most empathic heroines in video games to date. As Lenneth demonstrates, being a hero is not just about banishing evil within the world, it's also having a level of compassion, empathy, and understanding that can and will give you strength in the long run. — Sam Wachter

Mitsuru Kirijo

If you've been here at RPGamer since the time I was hired, then you will know from podcasts and other features that I may have the biggest crush on Mitsuru Kirijo from Persona 3. I can't help myself, Mitsuru is calm, confident, responsible, and wield a rapier waiting to execute her pray. She makes no bones about who she is as a woman, she runs SEES with a strong and pragmatic mind, and she instills confidence into those around her. Plus dating Mitsuru... it requires work. A lot of work.

Mitsuru also has one of the more interesting Social Links in Persona 3. While these personality traits are a part of her exterior, she's a surprisingly sensitive individual. She is someone who grew up with strong expectations on who she will grow up to become and yet she is also someone who seeks freedom to be her own woman. Ultimately, Mitsuru gains her freedom to later create the Shadow Operatives, an elite group dedicated to fighting rogue Shadows. While she may front as an ice queen, there's no question that Mitsuru is dedicated to her friends and saving the world. — Sam Wachter